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 This anthology is composed of four stories by very prominent urban fantasy / paranormal romance authors, each of roughly equal page length and often filling the gaps in their larger series. I’ll be honest, I bought this one because it had Ilona Andrews on the cover (as I would buy anything the husband and wife team write) but I read all of the stories and will give them all a bit of time in this review. All of the stories in the anthology have something to do with big, vicious dogs, as you might imagine from the title!
First up was ‘The Britlingens Go to Hell’ by Charlaine Harris. This story begins with two Britlingens, elite bodyguards, sent into a place called Hell due to a personal vendetta. This story is loosely connected with the Sookie Stackhouse series in that the Britlingens were introduced in one of the books, but otherwise is completely separate – these bodyguards live on their own world and simply travel around the universe to protect others.
This story was probably my least favorite. I didn’t really get a feel for either of the main characters, though I did like that they encountered Amelia Earhart and Narcissus. It was fun, but also a bit strange, with giant slugs featuring alongside some odd sexual mechanics. I think it would be okay for some, but I thought it a bit out of place in an urban fantasy anthology where all of the other stories resemble our world in one way or another, and it wasn’t at all what I’d expected.
The second story was the one I was looking out for, ‘Magic Mourns’ by Ilona Andrews. Kate is out of the office due to injuries from a previous book, leaving her friend Andrea, a secret werekin, in charge when a three-headed dog starts rampaging. Andrea has to defeat not only the dog but contend with her feelings for a bouda and her secret shame at her own genetic background.
Any reader of this blog will know that I adore this series and personally felt the anthology was worth the purchase for this alone. The change of perspective was actually really nice; I adore Kate, but I had read a lot about Andrea too and was quite happy to get in that additional backstory (and of course it helped that Kate appeared at the very end!). It was just fabulous to get a little bit more of this world and there is actually a surprising amount squeezed into this story even though it never feels rushed. Andrea has to deal with a lot of her own personal issues and the romance comes out exceptionally well.
‘Angels’ Judgement’ by Nalini Singh is similarly an extension of her Guild Hunters series, of which I’ve so far read the first two. In this one we learn how Sara and Deacon got together and in the process are taken along on a hunt for a rogue vampire. I enjoyed this one and I liked having a different perspective on the world along with a romance that wasn’t headed by an irritating angel, as the normal series books have been. This is set prior to the actual books so contains no spoilers for the series itself.
Last was ‘Blind Spot’ by Meljean Brook. I’ve only read Brook’s steampunk book, The Iron Duke, and none of the Guardian series in which this novella plays a part. I’ve read that it contains minor spoilers for one of the books in the series, but it wasn’t a particular concern of mine as by the time I hit book 5, I’ll have to reread this novella! Anyway, this novella is about former CIA operative Maggie who is sent with a hellhound to find a missing woman and protect her brother Geoffrey Blake. At first, neither we nor Maggie understand how a blind man can help find his sister, but Blake’s unique talents soon reveal themselves and the hunt is on.
I was fairly surprised to find myself enjoying this one and think I’d have to pick it out as my second favorite of the anthology. I enjoyed the romance and the storyline of this and really thought it gave us a lot while fitting neatly within the confines of its length. I do actually have the first full novel of the Guardians series on my TBR and am looking forward to reading it a lot more now.
Overall, this anthology was worth the money for me and provided four stories that I enjoyed, albeit to varying degrees. I’d go so far as to call it a must-read for fans of any of the latter three authors, but I wouldn’t pick up the book for the Charlaine Harris story alone.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 Sophie is the eldest of three girls; though her own mother has died and her father has married, she gets on very well with her stepmother and two stepsisters. But when her father dies, things begin to change; Sophie’s sisters are sent to learn different trades and Sophie herself must take over in the hat shop. Unhappy with her lot, Sophie longs for change, and runs afoul of the witch of the wasteland, who turns her into an old woman. To get her life back, Sophie heads to Howl’s Moving Castle, where she hopes the enigmatic wizard Howl can help her.
I bought this book before Diana Wynne Jones’s recent passing; I felt the best way to react to that news was to start reading her work ASAP, as I should have done when she was alive. And I really should have because, as everyone told me I would, I loved this book and I was completely captivated by the story here. I read it during the Read-a-thon all in one go and that was truly perfect for it, because I could simply lose myself in this lovely book.
For me this book felt like a fairy tale I might have read when I was much younger, though it is obviously also very appealing for adults. It certainly seems a book to suit all ages, personally. I was entranced by the idea of the moving castle and Howl himself – I could see the end coming from a while previously, but that didn’t make it any less sweet.
My favorite part really is Sophie’s entire switch of thought process. As a young woman, she’s trapped in the hat shop. She becomes very timid and set in her ways. By turning her into the old lady she’s become, the witch actually does her a favor, because she realizes what she is missing. She also brings her into contact with Howl, and unquestionably the best scenes in the book occur when Sophie has actually gotten to Howl’s castle.
The fantasy characters themselves can be a riot with each of their very distinct personalities. In particular, I thought Calcifer in the fire was a fun character, and I was intrigued by the relationships Howl had with people outside the castle – I wondered how much the rest of the series picked up on what was established here, and trust me, I intend to find out.
Howl’s Moving Castle is exactly as wonderful as you suspect it is. Read it! You won’t be sorry.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 This collection of stories is the first set in Charles de Lint’s mythical city of Newford, where everyone from all segments of society can get in touch with magic if only they believe.
Kelly at The Written World and I both chose Dreams Underfoot for the Once Upon a Time V challenge – once we saw that we both intended to read it, we decided to read it together! We each asked the other three questions. Here are the three she’s asked me, and my answers:
1. What is it, in your opinion, that makes de Lint’s stories so readable for the people that pick up one of his collections?
De Lint’s stories are so immediately captivating for me because they take place in a world we could all easily imagine ourselves living in. His fantasy is the stuff of myth and feels organic, so it could well have come from our world – it fits right in with Native American creation myths, for example, and is never out of place. Because Newford is fictional, it could be right in our backyard. For me at least, I think this is a low barrier to entry; you don’t need to be acquainted with the world to hop right in, like you would with most fantasy.
2. Last year when I read The Ivory and the Horn with Carl, I said that I thought de Lint could write very believable female and male characters. Would you agree?
I would definitely agree. I find all of the characters to be very realistic and they usually manage to have character arcs no matter how little they stick around. I can’t recall any time where I felt he’d stuck one of his characters into a pigeonhole, which can be so easy to do in a short story. They’re all living, breathing people, which I think goes along with the first question because it’s another thing that makes his work very appealing.
3. At the same time that I was reading this book, I was also reading The Very Best of Charles de Lint. One of the things that both collections had me thinking about were de Lint’s ability to capture very serious issues in very readable ways. Would you agree with this based on what you have read by him so far?
Absolutely – a lot of the characters here go through really tough situations. It can be hard to read about the abuse they’re put through, but I am always reminded that this happens to real people. People die here, they beat each other up, and they even abuse themselves. In some ways I think de Lint softens the edges – the fantasy aspects can be terrifying or they can be an escape, and the supportive Newford community is certainly something that doesn’t always exist when real people need it. But overall the stories feel incredibly real.
You can read Kelly’s answers to the questions I asked over on her blog! I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 Shortly after her mother’s death, Yeine is summoned to the capital, Sky, by her royal grandfather. Formerly ruler of a small nation, Yeine has never been acknowledged by her mother’s family because they never approved of her parents’ marriage, but her death changes everything. Yeine is declared an heir to the throne and must compete with her two cousins, both of whom were raised in Sky, or her life will end. Quickly, her struggle takes on bigger dimensions as she finds herself caught in a war between gods, questioning whether she can save those who have been imprisoned to serve humans or must bow down the god who now rules over all.
It’s been a long time since I read a new-to-me epic fantasy as engrossing as this one. I’ve seen this book over and over again, but mainly dismissed it from my thoughts. Then, it got chosen for a book club pick, and though I was forced to miss the meeting, I still bought and read the book in time. I’m so happy about that – I would have missed out on an amazing book more or less because the cover didn’t appeal to me and I thought it would be another 1000+ page chunkster. How wrong I was. This was a stand-out book with a gorgeously realized world, beautifully drawn characters, and a strong emotional heart.
One of the many reasons I read fantasy is down to world-building. I can get lost in a well-written fantasy world, happily exploring the corners of it for page after page. Though this is only the first book in a trilogy, I am well and truly intrigued. In this world, the struggle between the gods has defined the way the people live. The original war left one god supreme, one god killed, and the third major god imprisoned, along with the rest of the lesser gods, forced to obey humans. Naturally, they’re not particularly fond of this, and will do anything to get out of it, hence one of the core plotlines of the book that becomes clear as we go along.
Probably the only part that I struggled with at the beginning is the writing style and the inadequacy of Yeine herself. The book is told through Yeine’s reflections and her memory is muddled. She goes back in time and talks to herself, for reasons that also become clear as the book continues, but which lead to a confused reader at the start. But when everything came together at the end I was left wondering how well the foreshadowing would stick together on a second read, which means I do plan on reading it again at some point.
To top it all off, there is a romance involved, which when done well almost always makes a book better for me. I loved this one. Though as mentioned earlier Yeine is frustratingly powerless, obviously a pawn in others’ hands at times, there was certainly something about this pairing that pulled on my heartstrings and had me crossing my fingers for them. I think it would have been a lesser book without that emotional anchor.
I am very glad that I read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of number two in the series! Expect a review of that one soon too – I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to wait. In the meantime, I highly recommend this to other fantasy readers. There is a reason it’s been nominated for a Nebula.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 At long last, Mercy Thompson and Adam Hauptman get married, the human counterpart to the fact that they’ve been mated for a while. The marriage is refreshingly normal, given the fact that werewolves and fae are in attendance, and Mercy and Adam head off on their honeymoon to a park in a deluxe trailer. Unfortunately for what they were planning, a fae sent them there for this purpose, and the fae rarely do anything out of the goodness of their hearts. Finding a man with his leg nearly sliced off, his sister missing, and several European otters in the nearby river is only the beginning.
Patricia Briggs has never let me down with this series, and maintains the great character and relationships that have been the hallmark of this series since the start in this latest installment. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is happy to see Mercy and Adam finally married. Their relationship is so sweet and perfectly suited to both of their characters. It’s hard not to like it.
As for the rest of the book, we encounter a few tidbits from Mercy’s past as the newlyweds find themselves encountering quite a few Native Americans, including Coyote, who Mercy met in her coming of age vision years ago, only sensible because she shifts into a coyote. The plot is good and solid and certainly kept me turning the pages, so no complaints here.
It’s always difficult to review a book like this, late in a series, so I think I’ll leave it here; River Marked is a book well worth reading and the entire series comes highly recommended by me for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.
I am an Amazon Associate. I bought this book.
 This week, I finally managed to finish the first in my attempt at a Wheel of Time re-read before the last of the series comes out. The Eye of the World has a lot to live up to, for me; it was my first ever epic fantasy read, after all, and the book that launched my interest in all things fantasy way back in my first year of high school.
A friend recommended it to me and I can still remember that first time I went into the bookstore and held it in my hands. I opened it up and started reading, just to make sure I was interested before I invested my $7, but as soon as I’d read a paragraph I knew I was ready to buy. Fantasy worlds were so new to me, and so appealing, that I inhaled the book when I read it, and then went on to read the rest of the series, up to book 9, in relatively short order. Then, disappointed by book 10 and waiting for what felt like an eternity for book 11, I stopped, and now I’m trying to pick up the pieces.
So, how did my original foray into fantasy hold up, more than ten years later?
Surprisingly, it held up very well. It took me what felt like forever to read (more than a week, which is a long time for me), and I had an unfortunate habit of falling asleep while reading, but it was still a very absorbing and interesting read – I can see exactly what appealed to my fourteen year old self. I was shocked by how little I remembered the story, even though bits and pieces popped up as I read. Mostly I remembered the Trollocs invading Rand’s home, to be honest, and the beginning with Lews Therin Telamon. There were parts of other sections, particularly as I read, but beforehand there was very little in my head from the first time I’d read the book.
What I think struck me the most this time was how very typical a fantasy it is. It so obviously draws from Tolkien and a lot of other fantasy I’ve read draws from it, so it was simultaneously comforting and odd to put together the pieces. I hadn’t read anywhere near enough to pick that up the first time, but here – it’s that farmboy on a journey yet again, that farmboy with a fantastic destiny, who is forced to leave home and who must then go on to save the world. Obviously, it has plenty of its own twists to it, and there is no question in my mind at least that it fills the stereotypes quite well, but it was familiar not only because I’d read it before in this book, but because I’d read it before in others.
Much of the book defies the stereotypes as well, though. Even though it is Rand who is slated to save the world, he is far from the most powerful character at this point, and often reads like a lost puppy who has no idea what to do with himself. There is Lan, who is the most powerful human male we come across, but even he is ruled by the Aes Sedai he serves: Moiraine. Their strengths work together more than they work separately. And that’s what I liked about this book, this time, possibly the most; that the women are the powerful ones. Knowing what comes after does dim that a bit, but I loved that the women are regarded as the ones to keep the party safe, by not only Moiraine but by the people they meet on their journey as well. Yes, the three farmboys are ta’veren, the ones who change fate, not the women, but women hold the men’s destinies in their hands regardless.
You could say as well that the fact that the Aes Sedai are regarded as unnatural, terrifying witches in the country is yet another take on the very real practice of pulling powerful women down – the constant desire to explain away powerful women by turning them into evil is a theme that’s repeated not only here but in the real world as well. For me, this aspect made the book even more interesting, but didn’t really lessen the fact that it genuinely is the women who can protect the men. There are a lot of complex dynamics going on here and I’m looking forward to exploring them as I continue with the series.
The other thing I noticed was that the book is very clearly a first book. There are many little flaws in it that annoyed me; people keep doing the same actions over and over again. Nynaeve chews her braid, for example, while others are always chewing their lips, people blush more often than they ever would in real life, the characters are always throwing their heads back and laughing, and the descriptions of clothes never really flowed properly. It is a great story, and immediately absorbing, but it is not the world’s best written book.
All of that said, of course, I could so easily see what pulled me and so many others into this story. I doubt this is the last time I’ll read this book. My husband decided to read it first and immediately tried to get me to read it because there was so much to discuss, then he immediately moved on to the next book (which he is still reading now). Obviously, The Eye of the World is still very appealing, more than 20 years after its first publication date. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series, now.
 Venice in the early fifteenth century is a nest of scandal. The titular Duke does not actually rule; instead, his mother, the Duchess Alexa, rules for him with her brother-in-law, the much-despised Alonzo. They’ve conspired to wed their niece, Giulietta, to the King of Cyprus, conveniently ignoring the fact that she’s not interested. Meanwhile, Tycho, a pale man who can’t stand the sun and has supernatural strength, awakens in the hold of a ship, bound with silver chains. When he is released, he runs into the head of the Assassini, an association of assassins. Their numbers have decreased drastically and said leader is aging. He immediately conscripts Tycho into training, not caring what his reasons for avoiding the sun are, merely doing his best to protect Venice in this troubled time.
Despite the appealing nature of this book – full of politics, darkness, and supernatural beings – I had a difficult time getting into it. It’s received positive reviews across the internet, so apparently I am an anomaly, but I found the book too dark, and much too sexual and bloody for my personal liking. This probably fits with the nature of it, but is difficult to take and often felt like an unnecessary add-on. Moreover, the book’s plot moves very quickly. Usually, with a book like this, it’s fine to be tossed right in the mix of things, and get a grip as you move on and finally figure out who people are and what’s going on. The problem with this one was that I never really felt I had a handle on what was happening.
What I did like was the atmosphere in general and the setting. Historical Venice with magic – I could hardly ask for more. Grimwood sets the scene very well and is a master at descriptive language. The magical aspects seem to sit perfectly within the historical context, so this part of the book at least was easy to sink into. The battle scenes were also well done, and were among the few times I actually felt compelled to continue reading.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get on with the characters either. The plot moves so quickly that we flit between a variety of them, never really caring about any of them. Worse, by the end quite a few of them are dead – but because I was never attached to any of them, this produced none of the emotional impact that it should have done. The book left me with the feel that I should have enjoyed it more, given its positive points and its very appealing plotline. For others who are in the mood for a speedy political read in a fantastic setting, I suspect The Fallen Blade would suit better.
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book for free for review from Netgalley.
This is the sixth and final book in the current Vampire Academy series, and this review WILL contain spoilers for the first five. If you’re new to the series, read my review of Vampire Academy.
The stakes have never been higher for Rose and her friends. Rose is in prison, accused of murdered Queen Tatiana, and with the evidence against her, will almost undoubtedly be convicted and sentenced to death. The court itself is in turmoil over Tatiana’s death, still over Dimitri’s restoration to Moroi from Strigoi, and over turning dhampirs into guardian at just sixteen, instead of eighteen. A new monarch must be chosen for the Moroi world and the choices aren’t stellar. Rose must escape and find the real murderer before it’s too late.
While I enjoyed this final installment in the series, I have to say that it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d expected it to be. In large part, I suspect this is because the Vampire Academy universe will be continued in the future. Rose’s story is wrapped up, but the author has a lot of loose threads to tie together at the end. I wasn’t particularly pleased with how things went with Lissa and Jill, for example, and especially not with what happened with Adrian. We’re just left with a lot of questions and not as many answers as I’d have expected. What did happen was mostly what I expected to happen, regardless of what I actually wanted. Suffice it to say that this was enjoyable, but not my favorite of the lot. Okay, I’ll be including spoilers now, as I just can’t hold back!
What’s worse is that I wasn’t entirely sure I liked Rose at the end of the book. At one point, Adrian tells her that she’s hurt a lot of feelings and used a lot of people to get to the end, and I had to agree with him. She does use people, she gets them into trouble, and she has the ability to ruin lives. I actually would have been happier had the ending gone a different way – I hated how she treated Adrian, who I thought was actually a much better match for her in Dimitri. Sure, I was caught in that romance at the beginning, but that just wasn’t a sensible choice. I didn’t feel that he was the one for her. I wanted to believe that she was getting past it and that she’d find a new future with Adrian, but she didn’t.
After all her talk of best friendship, I thought she ended up using Lissa the most. By making her friend queen – she didn’t make it happen entirely but she certainly got into the idea and made it so it COULD happen – she took away Lissa’s young adulthood and freedom, something she’d obviously longer for in previous books. Maybe Lissa was the best choice, but primarily the goal was to delay the Moroi election, and to buy Rose time. It was selfish, although in some respects she made up for it in the end.
This was a good series, even if it didn’t end precisely how I wanted with Last Sacrifice. Recommended for fans of YA fantasy and vampires.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 In this alternate history world, a steampunk version of Victorian England has just defeated the Horde, a barbarous group of people who controlled English citizens by means of nanobots. The nanobots could force people to do their will, until the Iron Duke, Rhys, takes down the controlling tower in a mad, suicidal act. Mina, half-Horde and a product of the Frenzy, is also a detective inspector, and finds herself on a collision course with the duke when a dead body is dropped on his doorstep without warning. Unexpectedly they find themselves on a quest together to save Mina’s brother and, eventually, England, but all Rhys really longs for is to possess and protect Mina for the rest of his life.
I am in two minds about this book. The world was indescribably awesome. It’s fantastic and logical at the same time and I just loved spending time in it, uncovering the little bits and pieces about it, and I really can’t wait to learn even more about it in future books. I found it a little confusing at first but soon figured out everything that was happening; it’s just the perfect combination of Victorian society, technology, and Brook’s own imagining.
Unfortunately, the romance fell flat for me, and when I say flat, I mean really flat. I didn’t like Rhys. I hated that his sole objective in life was to possess Mina and he’s bound and determined to do it regardless of what she says, feels, or actually wants. He does some things to her that made me uncomfortable and I couldn’t forgive him. The rest of him was fine, it was just his behavior towards Mina and this attitude of possession that I really didn’t appreciate. I know some women like that, but I am very much my own person and this sort of thing turns me off a book quite a bit. (I’m thinking of Twilight and how Edward creeps me out but everyone else loves him.)
Mina, on the other hand, was fantastic. She’s nuanced, she’s clever, she kicks butt but she’s vulnerable – basically, she’s everything I like in a heroine. She’s also not stereotypically beautiful, but is instead the very picture of society’s oppression. She’s had a lot to deal with and it’s not men falling over her in the normal way, either. I loved that the world Brook created had a place for determined, ambitious women and doesn’t relegate them to the sole duties of marrying and having children. In fact, Mina doesn’t think she’ll have either of those things, so instead of mooning over men, she’s busy filling her life on her own. She wouldn’t even have mooned over Rhys if he wasn’t so determined, at least I don’t think so.
The Iron Duke is not my favorite romance, but it does have a great world and a nice, twisty plot alongside the romantic one. For those two reasons, I’d still recommend it, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the next one stacks up. Meljean Brook is very popular in the romance world, so I am more than eager to try her books again and see how we get on.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
 This review contains spoilers for the first three Tiffany Aching books – start with The Wee Free Men.
Tiffany Aching is finally a witch and on the Chalk, the land where she grew up and which she deeply loves. Being a witch, unfortunately, means that she’s overworked and constantly trying to do the best for everyone, even if they don’t like it. It also means that she’s ostracized, even from the people she once held dear. This includes Roland, the boy she saved in The Wee Free Men and who she thought would be her boyfriend, someday. Instead, as his father lies on his deathbed, Roland must assume the Baron’s responsibilities. But there are bigger problems afoot, namely the Cunning Man, who nudges thoughts against witches wherever he goes, and makes Tiffany endure far more hardships than otherwise would be necessary.
I loved this book. I think it’s my favorite of the series (which makes it appropriate to review today, on my birthday). It was everything that I loved about the rest, with added maturity, romance, and a feeling of completion. I’m content to leave the series here, and in a world where far too many series go on unending, I like that a lot. It could continue, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a book about Tiffany growing up, growing into the inheritance we’ve known about since the start, and even if it’s difficult and she gets into tough situations, she embraces it with all her heart. At the end she has grown and learned. She’s not only a better witch but a better person, an adult ready to face the world.
And, of course, probably half the reason I loved this book best was the fact that it does center on more mature issues; namely, romance, one of my obvious favorite types of plot. I must admit that I was quite sad to discover that Roland and Tiffany weren’t going to end up together, but the explanation was simultaneously so sad and wise at the same time that I couldn’t disagree with it. The way it ends up, of course, is just perfect for Tiffany and hit precisely the right note. I found it even more satisfying than what I had thought was going to happen throughout the first three.
The rest of the book is also substantially darker. Tiffany is now dealing with issues that closely mirror problems in the real world, such as when she rescues a young woman from her abusive father, who has beaten her so badly that she has miscarried a child. There is still humor, but the fact remains that Tiffany is no longer a little girl and the issues she faces are genuine and difficult. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that she also finds herself in the city in this book; it’s more closely intertwined with the adult Discworld books, which reflects on its place as a more mature story than the earlier, more enclosed novels.
I Shall Wear Midnight is a wonderful conclusion to this series, if it is the conclusion; it’s unquestionably my favorite and I know I can’t wait to read this series over again. Highly, highly recommended.
I am an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
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